, signed into law by president clinton, that law says that the federal government will not recognize same sex marriages, even in the states where it's legal. so if you are a married couple, same sex couple in massachusetts, you can't file a joint tax return, can't inherit tax free the way heterosexual married couples can. the obama administration says, agrees that law is unconstitutional. that law is now being defended by a lawyer hired by the republicans in the house of representatives. so that -- that is one case. the other case is the proposition 8 case in california. if you recall, california -- there was a referendum -- the california supreme court ruled that there had to be same sex marriage under the california constitution. gay people had the right to get married there for a brief period of time. then there was an initiative put on the ballot, proposition 8, california voted in a close election to overturn same sex marriage. same sex marriage was banned after it was briefly legal. the federal district court had a trial there, and said that law, proposition 8, banning same sex marr